Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22449 Location: UK

Hi all,

What's the best way of stripping chrome off a headlamp shell? Presumably a re-chroming firm would do it, I just wondered what approach can be taken at home? Will discs of some kind on a drill or grinder do it, or is the chrome finish too tough?

thanks, R
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kevin2306 · Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2014 4:09 pm Post subject:

I would be worried about causing damage by stripping it at home, probably best left to the professionals id say?

Kev

ukdave2002 · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4105 Location: South Cheshire

I stripped the Chrome off the MGA windscreen frame with wet and dry, using finer and finer grades especially when I could see the brass. The chroming firm will still clean and polish it up, so I'm not sure if I saved anything !

Be worth speaking to them first, they might just have a tank of stuff to remove the old chrome I don't know?

Dave

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22449 Location: UK

Yeah I'll have a word with the local outfit and see what gives, there's a few bits I have in mind for the "treatment" so it'd save a chunk of time too for, hopefully, minimal outlay.

RJ
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MikeEdwards · Joined: 25 May 2011 Posts: 2473 Location: South Cheshire

From what I recall of the bit in FTLOC the removal part should be quite a small part of the cost as it seemed to be hands-off in the kind of chemicals they have access to. I've got to get the chrome off a bumper that needs to be painted, and I intended to see what the local platers would charge just to strip it.

dclf1947 · Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 2:06 pm Post subject:

Although chromium maybe removed from copper, brass and bronze without attack on the underlying metal by immersion in dilute hydrochloric acid. Electrolytic stripping in a solution of caustic soda is preferable for removal of chrome deposits from iron or steel as these metals are readily attacked by hydrochloric acid. This information is from the Canning Handbook on Surface Finishing Technology who used to (maybe still do) supply chemicals and equipment for all types plating.
If it were me I would leave it to the professionals. It seems that the stripping is only a small part of the chroming process, some steel parts that may need stress relieving after stripping and re-chroming, the plating shop would handle all of that.

peter scott · Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7120 Location: Edinburgh

The shells are spun and the point tends to be very thin and weak so rather easy to break through with sanding.

Peter
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